The Oredigger Issue 10 - November 5, 2007

Volume 88, Issue 10

The Voice of the Colorado School of Mines, a Superior Education in Applied Science and Engineering

November 5, 2007

An Astro-logical Play

Leadership Forum

CSM Senior Design Group Plans for New Field

Panelists Field Questions on Success

Melinda Bartel Staff Writer Although rumors abound that a new football stadium is in the works, no clear plans have been made. According to Director of Athletics Tom Spicer, a new astroturf football field is going to be built where the practice fields are right now. Eventually, they may build a stadium around the new field. For the time being, however, games would still be held in Brooks stadium, even after the new field is constructed. When built, it would solely be for the players to practice on. Hopefully, its construction will start this spring or next fall. Spicer admits that there are a lot of people interested in a new stadium, but there are no official plans to build one. He said that their first priorities are to build a new soccer pitch, track, and football field, not a stadium. “There is a lot of talk, a lot of energy, and a lot of interest. But officially, in this point of time, we have not finalized or addressed the issue of a new stadium,” said Spicer. There are six Mines students working on the new field for their Senior Design Project. They are the third group to take on the project. However, according to the group, they are renovating the current stadium, not building a new one by the practice fields. Drew Ferren, a senior on the design team, said that a stadium on the practice field is an old idea that they lost interest in because it would cost too much money. The Senior Design team’s plans for the stadium include a field with artificial turf, new stands (capacity of 4000), a press box, a president’s suite (that will hold 35 guests and include a bar), new lights, and taking out the track. The fake turf will allow the team to both practice and play games in the stadium. They are also thinking about

private football meeting rooms a n d a p e rsonal football weight room. But those are secondary objectives. The group has a ten million dollar budget, and they’re planning to stay within it. Vince Dorzweiler, another senior on the design project, said that their proposal will be done by the end of the semester. If accepted, it would be MEAVE HAMM / OREDIGGER built within five years. Ferren Under the Bleachers: An entryway into said that when the underbelly of the current Brooks Field. the team presented their game plans and have film study project in front of Spicer, they were without being interrupted. “The cut off and shot down a lot. Howstadium would really help us with ever, he was under the impression our every day operation” said Stitt. that their general ideas are still a go. The football field itself is also The Mines head football coach, in desperate need of renovaBob Stitt, said that he is one of the tion. There is a four to five foot least informed and that he hasn’t difference from the center of the been approached about the new field to the sideline. Field turf field. He doesn’t know when or (as opposed to natural grass) where the construction is being would help in practice because planned. However, he said he it handles rain well. As of now, would hope to be involved in the the team practically plays on dirt, future because he knows what the and if it rains it makes playing team needs. “The football team almost impossible. “The idea of would benefit immensely from a new field has been bounced a facility that is ours. But a new around since 2004, but I don’t stadium with no offices doesn’t really have a clue what is going really fix anything,” said Stitt. on with official plans,” said Stitt. Currently, the team struggles “When I was recruitwith finding adequate meeting ed I was promised a rubber places (they usually meet in Coolfield. It would be really nice baugh), and it’s also hard for Stitt to to play on,” said Sophomore hold coaches meetings. They need football player Robbin Vinnola. a place where they can draw up

MEAVE HAMM / OREDIGGER

News - 2

Features - 4

Sports - 7

Greg Smith Staff Writer The Executive Panel of the Colorado School of Mines will host a “question and answer session” with four CSM Alumni who are now industry executives. Current and former students are encouraged to attend and learn from these leaders. The panelists are Tim Marquez, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Venoco, Inc. Robert Carlson, Director of Finance and Treasury, CoorsTek, Inc. Bruce D. Hansen, CEO and Director of General Moly, Inc., and Sandy Stash, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. They will be discussing what has influenced them personally. They will have advice for students and alumni alike. The panelists will also share the highlights of their careers after Mines to where they are today. In a pre-panel question submitted to the speakers, Serena Aernie of the Alumni Association asked, “What aspects of your personality contributed most to your success as a leader, and were those qualities instilled or are they inherent?” Tim Marquez said, “The first two personality factors that most contributed to my success as a leader are my tenacity and my drive to excel. I think my tenacity was both instilled and inherent. I was

born into a family of hard-headed people, but I have successfully refined this to a higher level. My drive to excel was instilled. There was a time that I accepted mediocrity, but I have come to abhor it and always at least try to excel at everything I do. The third personality factor that has contributed to my success as a leader is my keen wit. However, since most people say that my wit is unrecognizable, maybe we can forget that one.” Robert Carlson answered, “I have found that being a confident, independent thinker has served me well as a leader. While all of us start off with varying levels of these traits, our actions can greatly enhance these skills. If we force ourselves to step out of our comfort zone and continuously challenge ourselves in new ways, we will develop the breadth of knowledge required to be an independent thinker and we will build confidence from succeeding in these new challenges.” The panel discussion will take place on November 7 th in Metals Hall with refreshments at 6:30 P.M. and the question and answer session beginning at 7:00 P.M. Students are asked to RSVP due to limited seating. Questions for the panelists should be sent in advance to Alison. [email protected] or 303273-3295. Hope to see you there!

Opinion - 9

Fool’s Gold - 10

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News

November 5, 2007

Zach Aman, Editor-in-Chief PAKISTAN After Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule this weekend, the country’s Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, commented that January elections are expected to be delayed by up to a year. Aziz noted, however, that the country remains committed to the democratic process.

LIBYA In an internet audio message, al-Qaeda second-incommand Ayman al-Zawahri announced that Libya’s Fighting Islamic Group will become part of al-Qaeda. Abu Laith al-Libi, leader of Libya’s Fighting Islamic Group, said on the message, “We proclaim our alliance with the al-Qaeda network ... to become the faithful soldiers of Osama bin Laden.”

UNITED STATES Over 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America will go on strike this Monday after unsuccessfully negotiating higher payment for “new” online and DVD media. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert are among the television hosts who will be immediately effected by the strike. ISRAEL At a conference this weekend, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the establishment of a Palestinian state came second to the security of Israel. “Nobody wants to see another terror state in the region,” Livni said.

King of the Aluminum Hill Castle of Cans Event at Colorado School of Mines

Greg Smith Staff Writer The third annual Castle of Cans contest is approaching soon! Castle of Cans is a charitable food drive

Oredigger Staff

where teams build big structures out of canned food. The structures are judged on weight, in addition to overall appearance. The food from the drive will go to the local community as well as other families from Colorado. This year’s Castle of Cans will be held in Ballrooms ABC on November 16th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sigma Lambda took the gold last year, but the contest is up for grabs. The winners will both have the gratification of helping families in need, as well as bragging rights for another year. For more information or to sign up your team, contact Dustin Haynie. ([email protected])

Zach Aman Editor-in-Chief Hilary Brown Asst. Editor-in-Chief Chris Phillips Business Manager Sara Post Copy Editor Andrew Aschenbrenner Opinion Editor Josh Elliot Asst. Business Manager Jason Fish Content Manager Mike Stone Content Manager Lily Giddings Content Manager Kevin Duffy Content Manager

COURTESY SIGMA LAMBDA / COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

Constructive Thinking: Mines students gather once per year to build a creative structure out of cans that are donated to charitable causes.

NORTH KOREA Pyongyang has granted permission for US technicians to begin dismantling North Korea’s only operational nuclear reactor. The reactor is currently able to produce weaponsgrade plutonium. The agreement came under conditions of aid and security between the US and North Korea.

Silicon Valley-Backed Company Building Georgia Ethanol Plant Roger Fillion Rocky Mountain News; AP BROOMFIELD, Colo. – An upstart Broomfield company is set to break ground in rural Georgia on what’s billed as the world’s first woodbased commercial ethanol plant. Range Fuels’ refinery will rely on Georgia pine trees and forest waste that would otherwise be burned or left to rot. Silicon Valley money and Uncle Sam are bankrolling the plant, to be located in Treutlen County, about 155 miles southeast of Atlanta. A groundbreaking is set for Tuesday. The refinery will use pine trees, limbs, bark and needles as well as leftover waste from timber mills to produce a cellulose-based ethanol. Unlike corn ethanol, cellulosebased fuel relies on wood, grass, hog manure and other organic matter. “This could be the beginning of changing our reliance on fossil fuels for transportation energy,” said Range Fuels CEO Mitch Mandich. “We’re setting out to prove it can be done and be commercially viable.” When fully built, the plant is designed to produce more than 100 million gallons of ethanol a year using a proprietary technology. Mandich said it will cost “several hundred million” dollars. The plant’s first phase of construction is slated for completion at the end of 2008. The initial facility is engineered to produce 20 million gallons a year. “It’s great to see it coming out to the marketplace,” said Jim McMillan, an engineer who helps manage biofuels research and development at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. Unlike corn ethanol, cellulose-

based ethanol doesn’t rely on a food source or farmland for its feedstock. Ethanol demand has sent corn prices skyrocketing, pushing up costs for meat suppliers and consumers. “You’re not competing directly in the food market,” McMillan said. He also noted that cellulose-based ethanol requires less fossil fuel inputs in the way of natural gas and coal. Founded in 2006, Range Fuels is backed by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla and federal dollars. In February, the company received $76 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Range Fuels was one of six cellulose-based ethanol companies to receive DOE funding totaling $385 million. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said at the time the companies’ plants “will play a critical role in helping to bring cellulosic ethanol to market and teaching us how we can produce it in a more cost effective manner.” When fully operational, the Range Fuels refinery is expected to employ 60 to 70. “We plan on building multiple plants and rolling out this technology swiftly,” said Mandich, the CEO. More than 6 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in the United States last year. Nearly all that fuel was derived from corn. Experts say cellulose-based ethanol is more efficient than corn ethanol. They cite data showing that each unit of fossil fuel used to make corn ethanol produces about 1.3 to 1.4 units of ethanol-based fuel. Mandich cited government data showing that in the case of cellulose-based ethanol, the ratio is one unit of fossil fuel input for every 10 units of ethanol output.

News

November 5, 2007

Result of Writers’ Battle

Widespread Problems Reported in Mental Health Centers

DVD, Internet Profits Also Likely to Impact Actors, Directors Gary Gentile Associated Press LOS ANGELES – Hollywood writers were back at the bargaining table Sunday in a last-minute push to avoid a strike against TV networks and movie studios over writers’ share of profits from DVDs and the Internet. The battle has broad implications for the way Hollywood does business, since whatever deal is struck by the Writers Guild of Amer-

producers have seen in decades. “We haven’t shown particular resolve in past negotiations,” said John Bowman, the WGA’s chief negotiator. “The sea change is that this is an enormously galvanizing issue, and two, that the new regime at the guild actually has a plan, has an organization and a structure to respond to something.” The writers are the first union to bargain for a new deal this year. Their contract expired Wednesday. In past years, actors have almost

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was untested and that costs were high. Writers only get about 3 cents on a typical DVD retailing for $20. The guilds have tried and failed for two decades to increase video payments, even as DVDs have become more profitable for studios than box office receipts. U n i o n s s a y t h e y w o n ’t make the same mistake when it comes to the Internet. “I think we all understand what a crucial time in history this is,” Rosenberg said. “We really feel if we can’t get a fair formula in new media, we’ll dig ourselves into the same type of hole we’ve been in with DVDs.” The first casualty of the strike would be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment. Daytime TV, including live talk shows such as “The View” and soap operas, which typically tape about a week’s worth of shows in advance, would be next to feel the impact. The strike would not immediately impact pro-

IMEDIA

IK TESY W COUR

Associated Press

viewed by police, saying, “At first I thought it was okay, but then in the back of my mind I WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. – A state employee at one of the Colorado’s knew it was wrong.” Among the patients locked up was one who 24 group homes for the developwas supposed mentally disabled to be observed has been arrested for allegedly “A state inspection constantly beuse he had abusing patients. found eight resi- ca atendency to Krista Jacobsen is accused of dents soaked in their “ s e l f - i n j u r i ous” behavior. locking patients KCNC said it b e h i n d c l o s e d own urine at one also found probdoors at Depew House, a charge home in March.” l e m s a t o t h e r homes after she denies. reviewing hun“It was completely inappropriate,” Dr. Sha- dreds of pages of reports and looking at the results of investigations. ron Jacksi, who oversees the A state inspection found eight group homes, told KCNC TV. residents soaked in their own urine Jacksi said Jacobsen was fired after the accusations surfaced. at one home in March. Inspectors from the state health department Locking patients behind closed found that employees at one doors “would definitely be concenter were hiding toys and other sidered abuse,” Jacksi said. Jaitems belonging to one patient, cobsen is charged with neglect of causing her extreme anguish. an at-risk adult, a misdemeanor. “We are concerned we do KCNC said it interviewed other employees at the center and was have these instances and are looking at how to improve told Jacobsen, a licensed psychithe services,” Jacksi said. atric technician, had told them it The investigation also was acceptable to lock the pafound that many workers who tients in rooms which contained were supposed to be monia couch, toys and a television. t o r i n g a t - r i s k p a t i e n t s w e re Amanda Houghtailing, admitcaught asleep on the job. ted to the practice when inter-

ONS

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At Caltech, Students Forgo Rocket Science for a Day to Pick Olives Associated Press

ica will likely be used as a template for talks with actors and directors, whose contracts expire next June. “We’ll get what they get,” Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg told The Associated Press. Negotiators were meeting with a federal mediator Sunday evening in hopes of avoiding a strike that writers had set to begin 12:01 a.m. Monday. The guild announced sweeping plans to picket every major studio in Los Angeles starting at 9 a.m. Monday, along with Rockefeller Center in New York, where NBC is headquartered. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers previously called a writers’ strike “precipitous and irresponsible.” Producers believe progress can be made on other issues but “it makes absolutely no sense to increase the burden of this additional compensation,” said J. Nicholas Counter, the producer’s chief negotiator. The guilds have been preparing for these negotiations for years, hiring staff with extensive labor union experience, and developing joint strategies and a harder line than

always gone first, although the Directors Guild of America, which is seen as the least aggressive of the three guilds, has sometimes taken the lead. Whatever deal was struck first was usually accepted by the others. The guilds are aware that if writers fail to win concessions involving DVDs and the Internet, actors may have to take up the fight. “This is an issue that touches every member of this guild and every member of the Screen Actors Guild as well,” said Carlton Cuse, executive producer of the ABC drama “Lost.” Consumers are expected to spend $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, according to Adams Media Research. By contrast, studios could generate only $158 million from selling movies online and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web, although those numbers are expected to skyrocket in coming years. Studios argue that it is too early to know how much money they can make from offering entertainment on the Internet, cell phones, iPods and other devices. Hollywood unions have long regretted a decision made in 1984 to accept a small percentage of home video sales because studios said the technology

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duction of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year. The actors’ union has urged its members to join the writers’ picket lines during their off hours. If a writers strike lingers and actors show support, producers could try and undermine the writers’ position by seeking a more favorable deal with directors. Writers and directors have clashed in the past, mostly over writers’ feelings that directors take too much credit for a movie and neglect the contribution of writers. In 2004, the directors’ union settled its contract first and backed down from demands for a higher share of profit from the lucrative DVD marketplace. Writers and actors then had little choice but to accept a similar deal. “This is a bare knuckle fight and a chess game,” said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment lawyer at the Los Angeles law firm of TroyGould. “If producers do reach a deal with the DGA, it would be to cut the legs right out from under the strike. Then the focus shifts to SAG.” The DGA said it has not yet scheduled contract talks but was closely monitoring developments.

P re s i d e n t J e a n - L o u C h a meau, who saw them, told biolPA S A D E N A , C a l i f . – S t u ogy major Ricky Jones and physdents at the California Institute of ics major Dvin Adalian he would Technology campus were able prepare them a home-cooked to forget rocket science for a meal if they could figure out how day and harvest olives instead. to turn the olives into olive oil. Students and faculty put away They met the challenge using their laptops Friblenders, conday to climb 16- “Most of the olives crete blocks, foot-high ladders, w i n d o w perch in cherry that students and fac- screens and pickers and grab a centrifuge. t h e b l a c k a n d ulty plucked were beTheir efgreen fruit that forts garnered would otherwise ing turned over to the so much atstain the univertention that sity’s walkways. Santa Barbara Olive Caltech deTheir goal is to to create Co., where they will be cided make some 1,200 a full-blown bottles of olive oil festiprofessionally pressed harvest to raise money val this year. for scholarships, Most of and bottled.” staff bonuses and the olives that student activities. students and “It’s not really just about the faculty plucked were being turned olives. It’s about everyone work- over to the Santa Barbara Oling together,” said freshman ive Co., where they will be promath major Tim Black of Wisfessionally pressed and bottled. consin, who was one of more But Jones, 22, and Adalian, than 500 people picking olives. 20, kept their hand in, designOlive picking became a fall ing and helping build a humanevent at the campus more fapowered crusher that rolled two mous for producing math geone-ton metal wheels over some niuses and rocket scientists afof the olives, which were then ter two students began plucking wrapped in cloth, placed in a campus trees as a joke last year. press and squeezed into a bin.

Features

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November 5, 2007

ZACH AMAN / OREDIGGER

Repu

Steven Easter Staff Writer

blic

ans

Although many may not know it, there is indeed a place for Republicans to come and represent their beliefs. The CSM Republicans club meets every Monday at noon in Hill Hall room 209. They represent the Republican Party for the Colorado School of Mines. Meetings are currently small. As more people come, Interim Chair Kevin Allen will have an agenda for the start of the meeting and then will let the meeting flow into a more open forum and discussion. “We emphasize participation in politics for young people because after we graduate, and even now, we are the future of this country, and we don’t want it falling into the wrong hands – participation and change through education,” Allen responded when asked about the role of the club on campus and in the community. A Civil Campus Debate is scheduled on campus for November 6th. All three political clubs on campus will participate: Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. The Civil Campus Debate committee agreed on four main topics: Education, Religion and Politics, Energy and Sustainability, and the War on Drugs. Of these, the club’s main concerns are Energy Independence and upholding the constitution with the founder’s intentions on religious issues. Though the Republicans also “want to discuss the failing healthcare system, the dwindling social security funds, and the economics of the [country’s] deficit,” said Allen. Their CSM Republicans Facebook group has only 6 members. Most of the campus is unaware or simply does not care that a Republican group exists, said Allen. There is a Mines Republicans and Conservatives Facebook group which has about 50 members. A search on Facebook returned 425 profiles of people who are Undergrad, Conservative, age 18 to 25, and part of the Mines Network. Changing “Conservative” to “Very Conservative,” with other search criteria remaining the same, returned another 50 profiles. Yet attendance remains limited. “It’s sad, but a harsh reality,” said Allen about the lack of support. “Mines is such an intense school, there isn’t time for the world outside, and politics, in all its partisanship, suffers the most.” It is easy to say that you are too busy because of Mines, but it doesn’t actually take much effort to voice your opinions, especially strong ones. Most people would probably agree that everything, like college, is easier when you already know and understand the subject. To get more participation in CSM Republicans, Allen posted fliers for the club and the debate “in hopes that our message that night will draw people in.” The Civil Campus Debate will take place November 6th from 7 to 8:30 P.M. in the Student Center ballrooms D & E. The debate is open to the public and will run more like an information session than a debate. All thee political parties hope not to convince each other of their stance, but to present their party’s politics in a logical fashion for the student body in attendance. There will be free drinks and lots of information, so bring a friend and do attend!

Libertarians Ricky Walker Staff Writer “[The Libertarian Party] sows the seeds of change in my opinion.” These were the words that came from Lauren Garrett, the president of the Libertarian Party at CSM, when asked about how her party is important to a typical CSM student. Contrary to what many people think, the Colorado School of Mines has an active Libertarian Party that meets weekly on campus. The largest misconception that people have about Libertarians is that they are the same as the Green Party. While they are both “third parties,” the ideals and opinions of the two parties could hardly be more different. The main things that Libertarians stress, according to Garrett, are economics and civil liberties. The basis of their opinions are those of self-government and the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, while the Libertarian Party has a common base, there are many split opinions because of individual ideology. Items such as the environment, abortion, and global warming are not defined platforms in the party. However, while these issues can be split based on who you talk to, there are some current issues that have well defined platforms. One of the largest issues today that the Libertarians have a common view about is government health care. Because of their ideals of limited government and fiscal responsibility, the Libertarian party is completely against this. In addition to that, Libertarians are generally against the war in Iraq. While Garrett stated that saying Libertarians were against the war was a “gross generalization,” the position of the platform is that the war was unconstitutional. So why should you, a typical CSM student, be interested in attending the meetings of the Libertarian group on campus? When asked this question, Garrett responded, “The big thing that turns me to Libertarianism is that it avoids the lesser of two evils.” The meetings of the Libertarian group are structured as a discussion groups, and are very informal. “We will talk about anything from anything from economics to our beef with physics. It is very informal,” said Garrett. Depending on the funding, the group will also have occasional dinners or go to Woody’s, however as of right now they are not funded by ASCSM. The Libertarian group meets every Monday at 7:00 in the student center just outside of the bookstore. It is open to all who want to spend an evening talking about politics.

Don’t Forget! It’s Political Awareness Week

s t a r oc

Dem

Steven Easter Staff Writer

The few, the opinionated, the well-represented Democrats of Colorado School of Mines held a meeting with milk and cookies a few weeks ago in the Arthur Lakes Library. They have a meeting every Tuesday at 7pm in the Library’s Boettcher Room. The CSM College Democrats openly discuss topics of personal interest, usually related to politics. The president, LB Williams, covers the slated topics and maintains order throughout each meeting. The topics broached at their past meetings included a move to elect a new Vice President for their organization. Members also tried to brainstorm ideas for buttons to sell as a fundraiser. The club plans on creating a notebook to store in the library and for check out. The notebook will contain different newspaper clippings and any other information people want to share. Group members are also considering a statement of purpose for the CSM College Democrats, as a whole. Their current quote, printed on their flyers, states: “Be a Responsible American = Be Involved.” Many members are looking forward to a debate, in which the three parties on campus (Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian) will participate. The debate is scheduled on campus for November 6th at 7pm. The club discussed various topics they would like to see at the debate, from religion and politics, foreign policy, and energy, to outsourcing trade. After a meeting held by all three parties, they decided the four main topics will be: Education, the Role of Religion in Politics, Energy and Sustainability, and finally The War on Drugs. If time permits, they will discuss Civil Liberties and Healthcare. Donkey Radio, the group’s show on Mines Internet Radio, airs every Sunday from 3-5pm. They play political music from past times, talk about current topics, and discuss issues on the air as well as host guest political speakers. They try to have questions or comments from listeners during airtime. On their Facebook page, the CSM College Democrats describe themselves as an “organization [that] is a collection of students at Mines that believe in America and all it stands for and wish to make this country stronger and better by making it better for all people now and in the future.” Their description finishes with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

The Civil Campus Debate will take place November 6th from 7 to 8:30 P.M. in the Student Center Ballrooms D & E. All three parties will participate.

Features

November 5, 2007

Geek Week ...Colby Childress, Grad Student: Physics of the

Satira Tajdin-Labib Staff Writer [Oredigger] When did you first realize you were a geek? [Childress] Well, I knew I wanted to be a physicist since I was four years old. During high school I realized I had never been grounded. So I asked my mom why she never grounded me and she told me, “Well, you’ve always been a loser so what were we going to do? Ground you from your school books?” What makes you a geek? A lot of things. I was Geek of the Week when I was an undergraduate. It was because I got into a fist fight with my friend about how to properly spell Klingon in English. I own about one to two thousand Dungeons and Dragons rule books. And, I’m in the physics department. Those three things are pretty big. What are your passions in life? A couple of things. My alternate to Mines was to go to music college. I’ve played the double bass since I was 12. Before I got really busy with school, I was involved with many of the music groups on campus. I play a whole lot of “Team Fortress” and “Lineage 2” which me and a bunch of my friends play fanatically. I like learning things, too. That’s why I chose physics; it provides the best opportunities to

learn new things. I read a lot too; I try to get 1000 pages in every week. Windows or Mac? Windows, because I actually like to use my computer. I do a lot of data processing at home and play video games a lot. I don’t want to have to do them on different computers or, with the case of Mac, not being able to do either of them. Do you have a geek joke? A mathematician, physicists, and engineer were asked to prove that all odd numbers are prime. The mathematician goes first and says, “3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is not, therefore not all odd numbers are prime.” The physicists says, “3 is, 5 is, 7 is, 9 is approximately prime, 11 is, therefore all odd numbers are prime.” The engineer then says, “3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is, 13 is, 15 is…” Why did you decide to major in Physics? As I mentioned before, it started as a child. When I was a little kid, the books I would ask my parents to read to me were always about science. I also knew that I wanted to learn as much as I could and the best way to do that was to be a physicist where I could experience things outside the realm of what I would normally experience. What is the geekiest thing you’ve seen at Mines? Well, I got into a fist fight with my friend Mik because he speaks 2

different Star Trek languages. The argument was about whether High Klingon or Low Klingon was the proper language for a warrior to speak. Also, in the physics department, there’s a penthouse in the department, so there are people who will work all night and sleep in the penthouse or the computer lab and then wake up and go to class the next morning. Where do you want your career path to take you? I want to get a Ph. D because I really prefer to be a lecturer/professor in Physics. As much as I enjoy research, teaching is just really, really fun for me.

COURTESY COLBY CHILDRESS

Music to Your Ears: Childress plays the double bass.

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Fo’ Real Dan in Real Life Awkward, Semi-Romantic Greg Smith Staff Writer

Through a very strange series of events, Dan and his brother Mitch (Cook) fall for the same woman, Did you like Evan Almighty? Me although it is not the typical Man v. neither. Well, upon seeing trailers Man to win Woman’s affection as for Steve Carell’s latest cinematothe usual romantic comedy, if that’s graphic adventure, Dan in Real Life, what you want to call this movie. I said to myself, “There’s a movie I’m I have seen a few movies, not going to see.” But then I reconbut this one tops the list for sidered and decided I’d give it a try. most awkward scene in a movIt starts off presenting Dan ie - ever. The entire audience Burns (Steve Carell) as a single dad was making yearning “ohhh” and who, surprise, surprise, has trouble “nooo” sounds for a few minutes. raising his 17, 14, and 9-year-old The extremely awkward scene daughters. is followed very T h e y u n - “The entire audience was s h o r t l y b y t h e dergo some end of the movvery cleverly making yearning ‘ohhh’ ie! I won’t ruin it crafted bickfor those of you ers and feuds. and ‘nooo’ sounds for a few who wish to see Dan is, as it, but the end is minutes.” Carell seems strange, not bad, to be in evjust different than ery movie, a very likeable guy. I expected. Dane Cook’s charWhy would any trouble beacter completely changed in my fall such a loving, warm man? eyes, for the worse, at the end. Dan writes a very popular advice I am actually considering column for a major newspaper buying the soundtrack for this and syndication is on the horimovie. The songs really increase zon. He and his daughters head the amplitude of what the audifrom New Jersey, where they ence is feeling for a character. live, to Dan’s parent’s house in Despite the audience being Rhode Island for a family weekend. made up of mostly middle- to None of the characters in the older-aged women who laugh movie seemed quite as surprised a lot and men who don’t laugh as me to find that one of Dan’s enough, I found myself smiling brothers is Dane Cook. I was a fan for the majority of the movie. of Dane Cook’s original stuff but My rating: three stars out of five. in the past year or so I have been yawning. He did a surprisingly awesome job in Mr. Brooks and Waiting, and now in Dan in Real Life.

Decisions, Decisions: How to Choose a Retirement Plan

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EDIG

GER

from a Roth 401(k) would actually be a blend of post-tax contributions and earnings (tax-free), and pre-tax employer contributions (taxdeferred). Admittedly, the employer contributions represent a lower proportion of distributed income, but there is still a tax to be paid. A simpler strategy would be to contribute to the employer’s 401(k) plan to maximize the employer contribution, and then open a Roth IRA. In fact, the use of a Roth IRA to provide taxfree income in retirement would be very beneficial if the Roth account and 401(k) account were of equal value at retirement. The effect would be to halve the combined income tax rate, if those two accounts were the only source of retirement income. So far, this discourse has ignored the realities of life. Every good financial plan includes an emergency reserve for life’s little surprises. Want to use the 401(k) or Roth IRA for an emergency? It’s possible, but if you are under 59 ½ years old and have not been contributing to the Roth for 5 years, you will be whacked with an early withdrawal penalty and taxed on the amount of the withdrawal. What about a loan? 401(k) plans typically include a loan provision and you could take a loan if needed for a qualified reason. You use the loan OWN

tax-deferred growth of all contributions. What’s not to like? Well, the often overlooked aspect of 401(k)’s and IRAs is the tax-deferral. If it is assumed that retirement expenses will decrease with a corresponding decrease in income, then a tax savings may be realized when retirement tax rates are lower than those experienced during employment. However, the opposite may actually occur. Retirees have more f r e e t i m e and that m a y mean no change in lifestyle, and thus no change in taxes. IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are returned to the plan participant as ordinary income and are taxed. But there’s another choice that should be made. This year, the IRS allowed the addition of Roth accounts in 401(k) plans. They are not exactly like a Roth IRA, but they do offer the potential for some tax-free income in retirement. With a Roth 401(k) plan, the participant contributes aftertax dollars as with a Roth IRA, BUT the employer’s contribution is made with pre-tax dollars. Retirement savings distributed

RY B R

This coming spring, a number of graduating seniors will accept job offers from large corporations. In addition to attractive salary offers, these seniors will also receive benefit packages that provide life and health insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plan opportunities. These benefits come with several options. The choices you make will depend upon prior experience/ education, your current circumstances, such as being single, married or married with a family, having or not having a student loan, and whether or not there is a career/financial plan in place. In the absence of a financial plan, the toughest choices will be presented in the retirement plan options. In the next few paragraphs, I will share with you my opinions on what choices to make. First, a word about 401(k) plans, the most common corporate retirement vehicle. Studies confirm what you might guess: most 401(k) plan participants are not adequately knowledgeable about investments to make wise choices. The Department of Labor adopted Regulation 404(c) coincident with the shifting of the fiduciary responsibility from the employer to the participant when making investment choices. Regulation 404(c) places an educational responsibility on the employer to ensure that plan participants understand the differences in investments and the risk associated with different asset classes. Addi-

tionally, beginning in 2008, the government is further addressing the educational responsibility by encouraging the use of “Life-Style” funds. Life-Style funds are typically funds of funds, such as the Fidelity 2030 Fund. This fund can be chosen by someone planning to retire in the year 2030. It blends together several fidelity funds to provide a relatively aggressive investment profile while there is some distance from the retirement date. As the retirement date approaches, however, the fund progressively shifts to a more conservative profile to preserve gains and have those gains available at retirement. By targeting the retirement date and investing in “Life-Style” funds, the plan participant gives up some control over the investment choices and may lose an opportunity to remain aggressive,ly invested if that would be a suitable choice. Assuming a typical 401(k) plan is offered, the choice is then how much to invest and what investments to use. The first choice is easily answered: “Take the money and run.” A dollar for dollar match of up to 3% of salary is common to many 401(k) plans. Further matching may take place when the company matches $0.50 for each dollar contributed up to 4 or 5% of salary. This means that the employer may provide 3.5 to 4% of the annual salary as a matching contribution to the 401(k) plan. Consider this free money, and get all you can. The additional benefit of a 401(k) plan is the salary deferral of the participant’s contribution and the

HILA

James Larsen Guest Columnist

and then repay yourself by making payments to the 401(k) plan account… with after-tax dollars. The loan repayment then replaces the earlier contributions and is available for income in retirement. But wait! Isn’t that retirement income taxed? Yes it is, so what you used to repay the loan is subjected to taxation when you earn it and taxation when you withdraw it as retirement income… perfectly legal! This is where a third account becomes handy. A taxable account, such as a brokerage account or open account with a mutual fund company, provides a source of available funds for emergencies or planned purchases. Think of a taxable account as the same as a savings account. Every year, the dividends and/ or short-term capital gains are reported on 1099 forms and taxes are paid on these earnings. Long-term capital gains are deferred until the money is withdrawn. At today’s rate, the maximum long-term capital gain tax rate is 15%, and the long-term gain is computed as the difference between the value at withdrawal and the cost basis. The cost basis is the initial investment amount, plus the dividends and earnings on which taxes have been paid annually. There are many strategies for employing all three accounts - the tax-deferred, the tax-free, and the taxable - in retirement to control the overall tax burden. The bottom line is a wealth strategy that addresses the retiree’s needs at the least possible cost.

Page 6

Lifestyle

November 5, 2007

Genre-Bending From Baroque to La Bamba

Say Anything Blend Indie, Pop In Defense of the Genre Tim Weilert Staff Writer The lines between “indie” and “pop” are being blurred; this is most obvious on the new Say Anything two-disc record In Defense of The Genre. Hailing from L.A., Say Anything has slowly gained popularity since the release of their breakthrough album ...Is A Real Boy in 2004 and are now coheadlining the MySpace.com Music Tour with Hellogoodbye. The record, heavily influenced by singer Max Bemis’s personal experiences, showcases a wide variety of musical styles slightly tinted with a sarcastic tone. A heavy mix of electric guitars and robust vocals begin the first disc with “Skinny Mean Man.” “That Is Why” shifts into a showtune style and seems somewhat out of place amid the overall the punk-pop tone of the record. However the style shifts yet again at “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur,” the first single from In Defense of The Genre. Dance beats, slightly distorted guitars and electric keyboards take over for the rest of disc one. Disc two sounds similar to Say Anything’s earlier works, combining simple melodies and multi-layered guitar parts. The track “In Defense of The Genre”

signals a return to Say Anything’s trademarked sound. The rest of the record follows a similar format. A slew of guest vocalists appear on In Defense of The Genre, a move which has mixed consequences. On one hand, singers such as Chris Conley (of Saves The Day), Chris Carrabba (of Dashboard Confessional), and Hayley Williams (of Paramore), have tremendous talent that adds constructively to the record. However, at some points the amount of extra vocals becomes distracting. Although it is unclear what genre is being defended, In Defense of The Genre is entertaining both musically and lyrically and is a good listen despite its length (1 ½ hours!) and jumpy musical style. Say Anything has found a place outside of the indie scene where the influence of pop music is evident in their approach. This may alienate some traditional Say Anything fans but will also appeal to a broader fanbase.

Library Hosts Concerts in the Library Series

Mason Williams Staff Writer If you happened to be in the Arthur Lakes Library at noon on Friday, November 2, you heard the sound of classical music coming from the Boettcher Room. The source of the music was an adult cello quartet from Evergreen, “The Voice of The Wood,” performing for an audience of about 30 CSM students and adults. The group played a wide variety of classical pieces, ranging from B a c h ’s J e s u , Joy of Man’s Desiring, which is flowing and

peaceful, to Prokofiev’s Humorous Scherzo, a dark, intense piece. At one point the group did nothing but tap their cellos, creating a rhythm and proving that there are many ways to play a cello. They wrapped up their performance with an arrangement of La Bamba, which, in the words of cellist Steven Weidner, is “not an easy song to play.” “The Voice of the Wood” travels around the state, performing primarily for schools. One of the cellists of the group, Shirley Marecak, has been playing the cello since she was eight years old and wants to see her love for

classical music shared with future generations. She believes that music education is not very prominent in schools today and that is why “a lot of kids nowadays don’t even know what a cello is.” Her husband Michael Marecak, also a member of the quartet, said, “If we can convince one child to continue with classical music, what we do is well worth our while.” The Concerts in the Library series will be continuing with another performance on Friday, November 16. Bob Neukirchner will be performing as a vocalist.

MASON WILLIAMS / OREDIGGER

November 5, 2007

Cycling Goes National

Sports

Page 7

Athletes of the Week Melinda Bartel, Staff Writer

Briana Schulze is the freshman goal keeper on the Women’s Varsity Soccer Team. She has been in the goal every minute of every game, which is impressive for a freshman. “ S h e m a k e s a b i g d i ff e rence in her determination. The players in front of her have a lot of confidence,” Coach Frank Kohlenstein said. He also said that she has done a great job. Schulze has been playing soccer for the past 13 years. She played for her high school in Littleton before coming to Mines. She said that playing in college has a different atmosphere, and it’s much more intense, but that she is really enjoying being on the team and getting away from school. “It’s cool being a starter as a freshman,” she said.

Jake Rezac Staff Writer

Schulze has helped lead the Mines soccer team to a 10-7 record. The women’s soccer team won their qualifying round and advanced to the RMAC semi-finals after a 3-0 victory against N. M. Highlands University last Wednesday. The game marked Schulze’s seventh shutout of the season. The team lost to CSU-Pueblo during the semi-final game on Nov. 2. The score was 3-1, and Schulze ended the game with 6 saves. Furthermore, she has had a total of 117 saves for the season (as of Thursday). Her team mate, Cass Pangell, said, “In our games and practices she keeps us all going when things get tough.” Schulze has yet to declare her major.

The Mines Cycling Team dominated their competition in the RMAC regular season, more than doubling the point total of their nearest competitor in the National FEMALE DH Championship points QUALIFIERS race. Because of this, they won the right to compete in the NCCA National 2nd Place - Christen Boyer 5th Place - Myra Dyer MTB Championships in 10th Place - Melissa Marts North Carolina, which 12th Place - Iris Tomlinson took place October 25-28. From the beginning FEMALE XC of the Championship to the end, Mines further FINISHES displayed both the domiMEAVE HAMM / OREDIGGER 6th Place - Melissa Marts nance and consistency it 8th Place - Iris Tomlinson had shown all year: even 20th Place - Myra Dyer Craig Thompson is a se- Highlands Ranch High School though none of Mine’s before coming to Mines. He says nior forward on the Varsity Men’s riders placed first in an one of the highlights of his career Soccer Team. He is a team captain event, they all performed very was in 2005, when Mines played this year, and he has, notably, well, edging out Warren Wilson MALE DH started all four of his years at in the NCAA tournament for the College, 636 points to 626, to first time and won their first round. Mines. “Thompson is one of the QUALIFIERS win the Division II National Title. He scored a big goal in that game. best attacking players in the con1st Place - Brandon Turman The team was represented by On Nov. 2, the men’s team deference, or to ever play for CSM,” 8th Place - Nathan Work twelve riders. Brandon Turman, feated Metropolitan State College of said Coach Frank Kohlenstein. 11th Place - Deider Barrick Nathan Work, Deider Barrick, Denver with a final score of 3-2. The This season, he scored three 33rd Place - Devin Rhinehart Devin Rhinehart, Christen Boyer, team advanced to the championship goals in one game against the Melissa Marts, Iris Tomlinson, match, which was played Nov. 4. number four team in the country, MALE XC and Myra Dyer in Downhill and He said it will be weird when including a hat trick. His coach says Dual Slalom, Zak Grabowski, the season is over, because it’s he’s a crucial part of their team beFINISHES Joe Schneider, Topher Hurley, been such a big part of his life for cause he always scores big goals. 25th Place - Zak Grabowski Shaun Higgins, Melissa Marts, so long. “Everyone on the team is “Thompson is one of the danger34th Place - Topher Hurley Iris Tomlinson, and Myra Dyer so fun. I’ve made some really good ous players in the league,” he said. 36th Place - Shaun Higgins participated in Cross Country friends,” he said. Thompson is Thompson has been playing 39th Place - Joe Schneider and Short Track; and Chrisworking on his degree in Mechanisoccer since he was five years ten Boyer participated in Short old. He played on Real Colorado cal Engineering and he plans to Track. All the riders performed admiraMEAVE HAMM / OREDIGGER graduate in December of 2008. (which is a club league) and for bly in their events, with Turman placing third in Downhill, Barrick placing third in Dual Slalom, Boyer placing third in Downhill and fourth in Dual Slalom, and Dyer placing sixth in Dual Slalom. Senior Brandon Turman explained how the National Championships were set up: “Cross Country and Short Track Beer, soda, and V8 cans Cooking oil (bio-diesel) are both mass start, endurance events that test the fitness of a rider. These Plastic bottles Bicycles events feature multiple laps around Cardboard Car batteries a loop for a specified time period or distance, and riders finish in the order Office waste (fliers, magazines, sticky notes, etc…) Old notes they cross the line. Downhill and Dual Slalom are individual, gravity events Text books Newsprint that test the technical skills of a rider. These events feature very challenging Clothing, furniture, damn-near everything Printer ink cartridges terrain, and are timed against a clock.” Entering the competition, the team looked to better their National Championship performance of last year, where they entered 19 of 32 events, and took 5th place. “This year we are entering 31 of 32 possible events,” Turman said. “Our goal each season is to qualify for and attend the national championship in every discipline.  This year’s extended goal [was] a top 3 finish at MTB nationals.” Because riders at Nationals are “expert or pro level riders, races [are] very competitive,” according to Turman. However, because all the riders put forth their best efforts, the team was able to accomplish its goal. “Consistency is key,” Turman said about winning. Apart from the talent and work ethic of the riders, the Sports Council made a big impact on the team’s season. “[they were] a huge help in preparing for nationals, providing assistance at every www.mines.edu/Stu_life/organ/earth/aboutus.html step of the process. We’d like to thank John Howard for making it happen.” e-mail Akira at [email protected] With all of the help they received, and all the talent they have, it’s no http://www.mines.edu/stu_life/organ/ebw/ surprise the team won the title.

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Sports

Winter Wonderland

Page 8

Welcome to the 2007-2008 Ski Season

Matthew Pusard Staff Writer The wondrous weather of fall has started to give way to winter’s chilly breezes. While that means that walks across campus will be a little unpleasant, it also means that ski season is almost here. Some mountains, in fact, are already open for the public’s enjoyment, but as November rolls on more and more will start to open their gates. Here is a list of some of the more notable mountains to look out for. Next issue will feature Vail, Keystone, Loveland, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Powderhorn.

Winter Park

Pros: Some call Winter Park the Coloradan’s ski resort. The green slopes (easy) on the Winter Park side are great for children and beginners while Mary Jane offers more advanced slopes (and more fun slopes such Parsenn Bowl). There is a variety of ways to deal with the hour and a half trip to Winter Park, including the ski train. Cons: The slopes can get crowded, and therefore icy, during peak hours. The lifts suffer from crowds as well, especially the main lift on the Winter Park side. It is best to try to take a lunch break at a different time from everyone else. It is also steadily growing more expensive to enjoy Winter Park, but a few multiple day deals are out there.

Eldora

Pros: The best part about this mountain is its proximity. It is an hour’s drive from Mines and even less from Boulder. It gets 300 inches of snow a year, but if it snows in Golden or Boulder, the powder will be great that day. The terrain park and tree slopes are the runs to check out. RTD also offers bus rides to the mountain. Cons: It is a small, single mountain resort. The prices may be a little steep with this taken into consideration. The season pass is $479, which is $100 more expensive than a season pass to the much larger Winter Park Resort.

Wolf Creek

Pros: The stat that stands out the most about Wolf Creek is the 465 inches of natural powder the resort receives annually. Their website boasts that this is the most snow in Colorado. The resort also boasts a relatively reasonable $48 single day lift ticket. There are a couple of slopes with no lift, but in exchange for a short hike, skiers can experience a run with nearly pristine snow. Wolf Creek will provide a lot of satisfaction for the experienced skier or snowboarder. Cons: Located in Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek amounts to nearly a five-hour drive. It is a resort that requires an entire weekend. The season pass also does not make a lot of sense. It is $689, which requires 15 trips for it to be a worthwhile investment. With the resort being so out of the way, it would not be a wise choice, unlike season passes to most other resorts.

Aspen/ Snowmass

Pros: Aspen is one of the most famous ski resorts in the nation, and as such, it attracts a wide variety of skiers from across the world. It consists of four mountains, each with their own flavor. Snowmass is renowned for its family friendly atmosphere, while Buttermilk plays host to ESPN’s Winter X games. It averages 300 inches of powder a season. Cons: It is an expensive resort with, a single adult ticket coming in at $87. It is also over a three-hour drive from Golden. Because of its fame, overcrowding is an issue on the mountain.

Copper Mountain

Pros: One of Copper’s great advantages is its connections with other resorts. The Rocky Mountain Super Pass allows skiers and snowboarders to access to Copper and Winter Park for just $30 more than a pass to either individual mountain. Copper is also only an hour’s drive away from Golden. The back trails are not as crowded and can have untouched snow to be experienced later on in the day. Cons: Copper Mountain is a hit or miss experience. The days with great ski conditions will be thoroughly enjoyable, but the rest will be disappointing. Crowding also can be a factor.

November 5, 2007

Rugby Cranks Up Jake Rezac Staff Writer Going into the October 28th game against Regis, the Mines Men’s Rugby team was in excellent position to reach the Western Regional Championships, which take place in the spring. Their last league game for the fall, however, ended in a heartbreaking last minute loss, taking them out of the championship running. “We planned to go to and then hopefully to win the national championship,” Junior Kevin Smith, blindside flanker on the team, said. Unfortunately, because of the loss, they will not be able to do this. The game against Regis, which took place at the neutral site of Greeley, began well for Mines. They scored 10 points in the first 10 minutes, taking a quick 10-0 lead. However, Mines penalties during the rest of the half would allow for Regis to catch up by halftime. Things started looking up again, when the Mines players managed to score another 12 points in the opening minutes of the second half, putting the score at 22-10. With only ten minutes left in the game, Regis needed to score three times for the win. Putting up two scores in the next nine minutes – one aided by a disputed call by a referee – the Regis players tied the game, with one minute to go. Regis got the ball back, and managed to pull off one more score, as time expired, to win the game 29-22. Despite the loss, the team will

continue to play league matches in the spring. As such, they won’t be taking a break any time soon. “We plan to continue practicing and we will most likely schedule friendly matches with local men’s clubs,” said Smith, “there is a lot we can learn from playing a club with more experience and it helps keep our skills sharp.” Even though the loss to Regis puts off one of the team’s goals of going to the National Championships, the season has still been a very good one. Before the Regis game, the team had climbed to number 4 in the Division II rankings and was thought by many to have a chance at the championship. None of this success would have been possible without each member of the team doing their part. “The best part of the season so far is watching all of our rookies rise to the occasion and make up a large part of our starting side. Many of the rookies have…inspired some of the veterans,” said Smith. Coach Anthony Ford has also been a big part of the success of the season. “He pours his heart into the game of rugby and has given so much to the team in the way of his time, both at practice and travel with the team, and in the fact that he isn’t paid.” With such successes and good team-camaraderie, the season has still been a big success, with many of the players looking forward to their chance at the national title again next year.

Arapahoe Basin

Pros: For A-Basin, timing is everything. They pride themselves on being one of the first to open and on staying open the longest. An hour away from Golden, this resort boasts the highest ski-able terrain in North America with a summit at 13,000 feet. The best part may be the 5 Mountain Pass, however. When passes start to go on sale and are severely discounted in the late summer/early fall, the 5 Mountain Pass provides a relatively affordable pass to hit up Arapahoe Basin, Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Breckenridge for the entire season. A-Basin is right next to Keystone and Breckenridge, adding to the pass’s convenience. Cons: A-Basin is not that big by itself. Early and late season skiing and snowboarding can also be a little sketchy with tiny bits of the mountain open and a lot of artificial powder used.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

F

Editorials Policy

p i n i o n

November 5, 2007

The Oredigger is a designated public forum. Editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval and may edit submitted pieces for length so long as the original meaning of the piece is unchanged. Opinions contained within the Opinion Section do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado School of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does not accept submissions without identification and will consider all requests for anonymity in publication on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less than 300 words will receive preference.

[email protected]

Page 9

Debate is Not the Enemy Space Matters

Andrew Aschenbrenner Opinion Editor Perhaps it makes politicians, pundits, and reactionaries feel more secure to declare debate on a certain issue over. Despite all the blustering, they are wrong. Especially when involving science, debate is never over, and to say so is to invalidate your position. This country has long known fools like Al Gore and Bill O’Reilly to call off discussion, saying debate is over. Do these men have something to hide, or are they just afraid of what the truth might be? Strong men are never afraid of the truth, and unfortunately there are precious few of those. It is notable that those who show themselves to be strong men are consistently hailed as great leaders, and those who don’t, while they may be revered by some, are ultimately failures. History doesn’t lie. One simply cannot shape truth because they want to. There is only one set of facts. If we let ourselves get trapped in the spin, automatically accepting that one person’s facts are true, we are blind to the debate. It is easy to be robbed of the truth if you don’t seek it out. More importantly, you can be easily manipulated if you only open

yourself to limited information. The United States have come a long way since 1776. We are no longer a baby country. Our gover nment has been playing the media game for two centuries or so, and its politicians know everything there is to know about spin. The media, however, has evolved, from print to radio to television to internet. But the media has interests too, and no matter how unbiased you attempt and/or claim to be, opinions show through. The 24-hour news cycle has made it impossible to be impartial. If you watch CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, or any similar programming, your opinions have been shaped by the way these channels represent the news. They run programming based on what people want to see. Long documentaries on topics such as prisoner’s rights, global warming, the War on Terror, and racism fill the empty spots in the news day. Every topic, every show, every issue has a slant, even if they are unintended. Sorry, Mr. O’Reilly, there is no such thing as the no-spin-zone. Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes make a mockery of their positions nightly on Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes. MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann fires leading questions at his

guests in a left-leaning version of Glenn Beck’s show on CNN. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h e b i a s doesn’t stop there. Media owners like Rupert Murdoch, Gannett Co., Clear Channel, and the Sulzberger family’s The New York Times Company shape the news in print, on radio, and online. So what’s a private citizen to do? The Founding Fathers knew how important freedom of the press was to ensuring democracy. The press is still free of outside influence on what to publish. But what about the inside influence? It’s always there, so the only thing to do is use common sense and get as much information from as many sources as you can. Our job as citizens and voters has gone from observers to investigators. And hey, that’s not all that bad, as long as you don’t get caught napping. I understand the urgency of issues. I realize why certain persons might be more than willing to cut debate short, to make their job easier, to make those who listen twist in the wind. This doesn’t change the fact that the debate is never over. There will always be new and changing forms of evidence, and an element of arguments will always be subjective. Sit back, relax, and keep debating. You might find out something new.

the impossible may have past. The purity of achieving the extraordinary may not have Today, the world looks to b e e n t h e d r i v i n g f a c t o r o f the Apollo program, which last Apollo, but it was a launch placed man on the moon in pad for many imaginations to 1972, as the height of man’s explore strange worlds, and supremacy in space. More p o s s i b l y d i s c o v e r n e w l i f e . The moon must be colonized. than 30 years later, numerous landmark scientific satellites and NASA’s goal for another manned space stations have been un- mission by 2020 should be dertaken, but money, and seem- praised as a necessary step for ingly a lack of necessity, have humanity. A permanent base kept us from returning man to on the moon provides a much the moon or making it to Mars. needed access point further Apollo succeeded because into space. The potential for unknown we needed to beat the Soviets. Once “Regardless of skepti- b r e a k throughs accomplished, other political con- cal scientists who cite w o u l d n o t be limited siderations and a the technical and psy- b y t i m e largely ambivalent public marginal- chological difficulties of b u t r a t h e r our imagiized manned space flight into obscu- prolonged space travel, n a t i o n s . Regardrity. The public only examines our ...man must return to less of skeptical scienrole in space when tists who cite space exploration.” something blows the technical up, pilots enter love triangles, or something and psychological difficulties of else goes wrong. Why? Today’s prolonged space travel, or the society latches onto celebrity fact that manned missions run gossip, cover-ups, and police roughly 100 times as expensive blotter as significant news. as robotic missions, man must Stories about scientific or en- return to space exploration. As gineering triumphs hardly enter a child weened off Star Trek and the mind of the average Joe. Arthur C. Clarke, it only seems The time of uniting to achieve logical that man, not robots, should explore the depths of space. The magnitude of overcoming the many hurdles to make a man, someone not unlike ourselves, step foot on a foreign planet is immense. The gee whiz factor of many “feats” today would pale in comparison According to Blue Key, they are reconfiguring the electric to the magnitude of man setting systems up there and replac- foot on the virgin soils of Mars ing many of the bulbs. This is or a frozen moon of Saturn. Man is destined to continue not a stylistic thing, so don’t worry about it being continuous. exploring for the same reasons people still gear up to ascend Everest or attempt other feats Beef: which stretch the limits of what Aramark. is considered possible. People Response: While you may not enjoy some try difficult tasks just to see if of the meals prepared by Aramark, they can succeed. Great exthey do offer every means neces- plorers and inventors such as sary for students to voice their Magellan, Columbus, Edison, or comments and concerns. the Wright brothers are heroes Every semester they send who succeeded where others out a survey to the stu- failed or doubted the possibility. The Challenger explosion dent body, and there are comment boxes in and the more recent shuttle dievery one of the dining saster prove that humans make facilities. The school mistakes. These disasters, has developed a close along with several from earlier relationship with Aramark programs, simply reiterate the over the years, and I’m sure important fact that spaceflight they are accepting of students’ is dangerous and many factors input. I would encourage you to must be considered. Such give detailed suggestions and feed- failures should not discourage back whenever you can if you have future goals of manned spacespecific complaints. Also, I will do flight, but simply push scientists my best to have the director of the and engineers to build success Aramark services come to our next upon failure and never quit. ASCSM Senate meeting on Novem- To endeavor at less than the ber 29 at 7:00 in the Ballrooms for a full potential of mankind is a Q&A forum with students. Please waste of brainpower. The only come and hear what he has to say. true disaster is never trying.

Akira Rattenbury Guest Columnist

What’s Your Beef With Mines? Casey Morse ASCSM President

Beef: Public Safety in general Response: Law enforcement will almost always instill negative sentiments on a college campus, but complaints about Public Safety will hopefully soon diminish. The school recently hired a new Director of Public Safety, Keith Turney. With over 20 years experience as a Public Safety Officer at CSU, Chief Turney has worked extensively with students to create cooperative programs between the officers and the students. We are excited for him to bring a better sense of community policing to the Mines campus. ASCSM is working out the details for creating a student panel to work with Public Safety as well, which should help students to better understand their operations and help Public Safety better understand students’ concerns. Beef: Why do we hire professors who are hard to understand? Response: The school has done research

to show that this will help encourage a more diverse campus. In addition to hiring more culturally diverse professors, the school is also using similar techniques to help attract more females to attend Mines. Beef: Not paying Grad Students’ tuition Response: Unfortunately, the state of Colorado is quite resource-limited when it comes to funding higher education. There are several movements going on in the Capitol right now to a d d re s s that, including a proposal from the Governor for $60 million more towards higher education and a proposal to use Severance Taxes for higher education. Since the implementation of TABOR, these decisions are now left up to the Colorado voters. Beef: Why don’t we have a Re-

cycling Program on campus? Response: We do have a recycling program, but it’s not publicized as well as it could be. There is recycling in every building on campus. The Environmental Health and Safety Department comes through to pick it up and take it to the respective recycling centers. They are currently working on different ways to publicize their

r e cycling program more effectively so students are more encouraged to recycle. Beef: Why did start flashing Response:

the M recently?

Page 10

Satire

Inside this issue:

Local 10 year old holds up candy store with candy gun.

SEE “Gumdrops” pg 18

To m B r a d y k n o c k s up another supermodel.

SEE “Brady Bunch” pg 34

November 5, 2007

Drug Dealer in Campus DrugRing Sting Mines Park E a s y, C h e a p , D e l i c i o u s

Campus Cops Flex Their Secret

Greg Smith Insider and Test Patient Mines Park will have at least one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. That’s right, narcotic fans, a brand new dealer! For a limited time only, building 2021 will be hosting drug tasting sessions as well as the usual pickup services. In November only, potential buyers can sample one or more of the new product lines for $50 ranging from: Bricks, Buds, Alley Juice, Bennies, Black Hollies, Dexies, Hogs, Hearts, Heaven, Hash, Kif, Junk, Jive, PCP, LSD, Rainbows, Red Devils, Scat, School Boys, and a complete range of Pepsi products. To connect with the dealer, knock 3 times rapidly on unit 229’s door, scream the word bondangle and do some push-

ups. A service representative will quickly meet you at the door and invite you to take your shoes off. You will immediately be served the finest of imitation orange juice and given one free bar of soap. From there, you can talk with the customer service representative assigned to you, and have a great night. Good night, and good luck. **Update** – the shop will be closed Friday at midnight for about an hour. They apologize for the inconvenience.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA

Jane: A smoker recently died from the effects of marijuana she never exhaled.

Man discovers Virgin Mary imprint on his foot.

see “Maria fungus” pg 22

Want to write for Fool’s Gold? Submit your original works to [email protected] and your article could end up in my trash folder!

Writer’s Strike: Pencils Down

Tim Weilert Writer

Reasons why: ___________ 10) 9) 8) 7) 6) 5) 4) 3) 2) 1) Mike Stone could not submit his article due to the W.G.A. Strike

Vin gave me a quick run-down of the operation: “Once we have the go-ahead from our inside man, we Public Safety announced its will execute a full breach on the front upcoming classified drug bust this entry way, gas and flash the room past weekend at a a n d press conference. p e r“The Sting is planned for this “We believe that form a building 2021 in coming Friday, Nov. 9th at ‘ p o i n t Mines Park has been guard’ trafficking narcot- midnight. Public Safety has tactical ics to the students entry in the area,” says chosen to keep their staging w i t h Mines Chief of Police t h re e , Vin Comptent. “We area secret as not to tip off the t w o have been gatherm a n ‘bad guys.’” ing intel from spies firein the perpetrator’s teams. organization, and it seems that the This will all take place at Midnight. mastermind behind all this is an RA. They’ll have no idea what hit them.” If She goes by the alias of Sydney.” the plan works, the perpetrators will The Sting is planned for this all receive two days of homework. coming Friday, Nov. 9th at midnight. As to whether Public this is connect“This will all take place at Safety ed to the recent h a s Weaver, Bradford Midnight. They’ll have no idea chosen and Guggenheim to keep child smuggling what hit them.” t h e i r triad, Public Safestaging ty would not comarea secret as not to tip off the ment. ‘bad guys.’ (That’s the official term.)

Greg Smith Informant

negotiations occur. A majority of the L.A.P.D. The two will become partstand-ins are employees of a private ners, solve crimes, shoot everything firm owned by Mel Gibson. The up and still find time to make jokes As of this morning, the Writer’s about the situation. What seems to content of the material being proGuild of America has gone on strike be the most upsetting is the series duced will not change drastically. over a controversy concerning Children’s shows, such as “Sesame “Lost,” where one of the characters royalties. Officials with the W.G.A. Street’” will now be set in Scotwill be crucified as more mysteries decided a land, all concerning the island are revealed. walkout Obviously the Writer’s Guild’s charac“Writers are demanding compenwas the strike will cause some slight ripples ters will only option sation for the distribution of their w i e l d in the entertainment industry. Some that would swords writers are now quitting their jobs cause the material in ‘new media’ such as In- a n d and moving to Hollywood to snatch Alliance up their one shot for fame. The kilts, of Motion ternet streams and downloads.” and will Fool’s Gold Editor, Mike Stone, Picture and is among those that simply “up be inTelevision to volved and left” for the big city lights. take their demands seriously. Writin gratuitous battles. The setting Despite all this, the new media ers are demanding compensation for the popular television series “The coming from Hollywood may top for the distribution of their material previous attempts, as new writing Office” will be moved from Scranton, in “new media” such as Internet PA, to Los Angeles, CA. Dwight and blood is brought in to the industry. streams and downloads. Analysts Jim will grow mullets and join the expect the strike will most harm late night comedy shows and soap operas. If the strike were to continue for more than a month, television series, movies, game shows and reality shows would feel the pinch. In addition to hurting television and movie ratings, the writer’s strike will cause the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. As a way to cut losses, the courtesy wikimedia A.M.P.T. has resorted to hiring Pens: Some pens that wrote classic one-liners and situational “scab” writers. These writers will drama now lie unused on desks across Hollywood. help the industry continue while

Satire

November 5, 2007

“Mines” Copyrighted Seagulls from Finding Nemo Outraged

s e Min

The stunt was an apparent attack on the “Mines” copyright and an attack on Kentucky blue grass all over campus. The Miners came and went in the middle of the night, making them hard to catch, given everyone knows cops don’t work at night. Mines, Mines, Mines. There- I just wrote Mines 15 times, so your $.75 is on the way!

Mines s e in

-Mike Stone Courtesy Wikimedia

Y

S TE M

CS

es

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“Texas Longhorns Crank Dat Soulja Boy @ UCF”

UR CO

The Colorado School of Mines has officially copyrighted the word “Mines.” This comes as a shock to the entire community of Mines, Nebraska. “I’m not allowed to say my homet o w n ’s n a m e anymore and it hurts. If I want to yell out at the local High School football game, I have to say, ‘GO!’ as opposed to ‘GO MINES!’ Aw, I just said it: that’s another five cents,” commented John Burger. The town has been picketing on the Mines campus with signs saying, “______ is my town and ______ is my soul!” Students are simply walking right by the protestors unaware of the fierce battle that has touched so many lives and yet hasn’t touched a single student here. Meetings with the school board

proved unsuccessful last month. A representative of President Scoggins commented on Mines, Nebraska saying, “The town was founded in 1899 and this school was founded in 1874. We beat them.” Roger Mines responded to the comment noting, “’Mines’ has been a family name for three hundred years before my great, great grandfather founded Mines, Nebraska. We beat THEM!” The hysterical Roger Mines continued, “If they don’t un-copyright their copyright, we’re going to copyright “copyright” and show them who’s right! You copy?!?” He then shook his fists in the air and fell over due to being a diabetic. What students might have also noticed impeding campus life were the coal miners from Pennsylvania that took the week off work to dig holes around campus.

Fool’s Gold YouTube Video of the Week

Courtesy Wikimedia

Mike Stone [Put Funny Position Here]

Page 11

PETA Joins al-Qaeda

Mike Stone Foreign Analyst

In a video released on Al Jezeera, Pamela Anderson proclaimed that PETA would join forces with Al Qaeda to fight the infidels. Anderson appeared in a head to toe burkha and decapitated an American Rooster. She then began a thirty-minute speech with, “You Americans are so silly.” The surprise move came after Libyan Terrorists, “Fighting Islamic Group,” joined with Al Queda since they have such good parties on the weekends. The newly formed coalition of the willing calls themselves “Fighting Existential Terrorist Association for Proselytizing Infidels and Gnomes,” or “FETAPIG,” for short. The interesting acronym also reminds farmers to feed their pigs. Anderson made threats in the video claiming, “We will slaughter one American chicken every hour until KFC stops treating chickens like a piece of meat. We ARE serious.” The lack of chicken in Iraq has made the threat drop short. There will be more to follow as the story develops. Back to you, John.

CSM Emblem: The copyright was more strict than expected.

Puppy Massacre- They just thought Lucky was quiet.

What Makes a Great Teacher? Professors Beware: This Article Contains Jelly Beans

Mike Stone Student Extraordinare

In my metaphorical journey and three beers later, I came up with a list of 10 teachers that have “spoIs it the subject? Is it school? Is it the rigorous pushups before ken” to me since school began for class to get in “the mode”? How a toddler of 13. (I was held back a few times.) Highlights include my can a student get a great teacher? first grade teacher and still family How can a teacher become a friend, Mrs. Valacenti. I remember GREAT teacher? These questions the first time I wet my pants when answered and more, plus Andy she didn’t see my raised hand to go Rooney in the following article. to the restroom. More recently, I’ve I was recently asked, “Who’s had a few teachers at Mines that a good professor for Circuits?” I “speak” to me everyday in class. replied, “Get out of my house and I had Heather Barker last year get some clothes on, you weirdo.” for Differential Equations. She was But it got me thinking. If you break it a great teacher. I didn’t particularly down, how can you guarantee you like the subject, but she made me get a good teacher? If a professor care by two accounts. 1) She told somehow “speaks” to one student, the class anit doesn’t mean they’ll “I remember the first time ecdotal stories about her time “speak” to another stu- I wet my pants when she as a student at Mines. 2) She dent or even their family at didn’t see my raised hand to talked TO us as opposed to AT cousin Ned’s go to the restroom. “ us. I thank you wedding. for your great There needs teaching abilities. to be a proI currently have Dr. Ogg for Biolcess that a teacher can go through ogy II. He’s a great teacher for three to become that great teacher.

House Director for Pi Beta Phi Sorority at the Colorado School of Mines for the 2008-2009 School Year Full school year commitment is necessary. Must be a senior or a Graduate Student. Compensation includes a stipend to cover half of the room and board each semester. The house is located on campus and is conveniently located near downtown Golden, Colorado. House Director Duties: • Advising the HC board on matters concerning the condition of the house and furnishings and the need for repair and replacement. •Assisting in preparations for opening and closing the house. • Keeping inventory lists current. • Maintaining a list of repairmen and service companies approved by the Board to be called in case of emergency or as agreed upon by the House Director and the Board. Please contact Kelly Gaudet at (303) 221-2213 or by e-mail at [email protected]

reasons. 1) He shows YouTube and drink beers together on the weekend, but you are invited! Get videos in class. 2) He talks TO us as to know the class on a personal opposed to AT us. 3) He’s passionlevel. It helps me and ate about the subject and “I could learn the mate- maybe it will help you. A teacher must knows a lot of anecdotal rial in a way that made supply facts, not only on the material, facts. I thank you for your sense for the original but also for broad and unrelated subgreat teachchemists.” jects. Quite frankly, ing abilities it puts butts in the and in no seats. It also gives the way should student an intellectual this get me an A+. break and helps with the peer noMy last star athlete of teaching tion. Anecdotal equals awesome. was Professor Pavelich for ChemisYou must present the material try I, who is now retired. His greatest in a manner that makes me think, feat was when you watched him as opposed to worrying about the teach, you could see him thinking. test. Otherwise, I shut down, take To me, it meant that I could learn a nap and pray for natural lighting. the material in a way that made So, you young and budding sense for the original chemists. The professors with barely a year of thought process was always there. tenure, take notes from a guy Wrapping these three teachers that cares the most. HA! Now together and putting them on a you’re taking notes! Finally! pedestal, there are a few central Just care enough to care and think themes and a pedestal issue: of how a student sees your class. A teacher must be a peer Then you can improve and become of his students, not a superior. a (echo voice) GREAT TEACHER! You don’t have to be buddy-buddy

New Panda

Traditional Chinese, Grilled Vietnamese & Spicy Thai Cuisine Dine-In, Carry-Out, Delivery, Party Trays & Party Catering

Come see our Great 2-year Anniversary Rewards for Mines Students and Alumni! **Buy 1 Entrée, get a 2nd 50% off** **Get 20% off any Single Entrée** **PARTIES OF 3 OR MORE MAY COMBINE THESE SPECIALS** (Dine-In and Carry-Out Only, Students must show Student ID)

How does this affect your price? For example: Sesame Chicken (Lunch) is $5.95 Menu, $4.76 with 20% OFF Sesame Chicken (Dinner) is $8.55 Menu, $6.85 with 20% OFF An $8.55 Entrée and a $7.55 Entrée will cost $16.10 Menu, $12.33 with Mines Discount **We gladly accept ALL Mines PURCHASE ORDERS and FIELD PURCHASE ORDERS**

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Page 12

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November 5, 2007